I’ll share the little-known tips behind How To Make Fluffy French Toast that create buttery, crisp edges and a custardy center and explain exactly how to get them at home.
I’ve chased the perfect French toast for years, testing slices of thick cut brioche or challah bread and how eggs behave in a warm pan. Some mornings it turned out diner French toast recipe style, other experiments hit what I’d call the Ultimate French Toast Recipe level, and honestly that gap taught me more than any cookbook.
I want to share the little tricks that make edges golden and crisp while keeping centers custardy, the sneaky timing moves and pan tips you wont expect. If you like bold results but hate fuss, you might be surprised.
Ingredients
- Rich, soft bread soaks up custard, adds buttery flavor and a tender texture.
- Eggs give structure, protein and richness, help the custard set yet stay creamy.
- Whole milk and cream provide fat for richness, make the texture silky and smooth.
- Sugar sweetens the mix and helps browning and caramelization on the griddle.
- Vanilla adds warm aromatic sweetness, lifts flavors and makes it taste homemade.
- Cinnamon brings warm spice, depth and a subtle sweet note to each bite.
- Butter for frying gives golden crisp edges, rich flavor and a silky finish.
- Maple syrup adds sweet maple notes, powdered sugar makes it pretty and sweeter.
Ingredient Quantities
- 8 slices thick cut brioche or challah bread, about 1 inch thick
- 4 large eggs, room temp
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/3 cup heavy cream or half and half
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt, or a pinch
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter plus more for serving
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil like vegetable or canola, optional
- Maple syrup for serving
- Powdered sugar for dusting, optional
- Zest of 1 orange, optional
How to Make this
1. Preheat oven to 200°F (95°C) and set a baking sheet inside to keep finished slices warm.
2. Whisk together 4 room temp eggs, 1 cup whole milk, 1/3 cup heavy cream or half and half, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon salt and the zest of 1 orange if using, until smooth and a little frothy.
3. If your brioche or challah is very fresh, arrange 8 slices about 1 inch thick on a sheet and dry them in a 300°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes so they soak without falling apart. Day old bread works best though.
4. Pour the custard into a shallow dish wide enough for a slice, then dip one slice at a time, pressing gently so the center soaks but the slice does not go limp, about 20 to 30 seconds per side for 1 inch slices, a little longer if bread is very dense. Do not leave them swimming.
5. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium low heat and add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter plus 1 tablespoon neutral oil, let the butter foam and just brown slightly so it wont burn while cooking.
6. Cook soaked slices in the hot pan without crowding, 3 to 4 minutes per side until deep golden and edges are crisp but centers still feel slightly soft, flip once. Adjust heat down if they color too fast.
7. Transfer cooked slices to the warm baking sheet in the oven to keep at serving temperature while you finish the batch.
8. Work in batches and replenish butter plus oil as needed, scraping up fond for extra flavor, and always wipe out any burned bits so the next batch cooks clean.
9. Serve immediately with extra butter, warm maple syrup, a dusting of powdered sugar and more orange zest if you like, enjoy the contrast of buttery crisp edges and custardy centers.
Equipment Needed
1. Oven, preheated and a baking sheet set inside to keep finished slices warm while you finish the batch
2. Baking sheet plus a wire rack, so the toast stays crisp and doesnt steam on the tray
3. Large mixing bowl for whisking eggs, milk, cream and flavorings together
4. Whisk, or a fork if youre in a hurry and forgot the whisk
5. Shallow wide dish or pie plate for the custard dip, wide enough for 1 inch thick slices to lie flat
6. Large heavy skillet or griddle, nonstick or cast iron, about 10 to 12 inch so you can cook 1 or 2 slices at a time
7. Thin spatula and a pair of tongs for flipping and moving slices without tearing them
8. Measuring cups and spoons for accurate eggs, milk, cream, sugar and spices
9. Microplane or fine grater for the orange zest, plus a rubber spatula or spoon to scrape up any tasty browned bits between batches
FAQ
Best French Toast Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Bread: Thick-cut sourdough, Texas toast, or day-old croissants. These are denser than soft sandwich bread so they soak without falling apart, but croissants give a richer, flakier finish if you want indulgent french toast.
- Milk / heavy cream: If you don’t have whole milk use 3/4 cup milk plus 1/4 cup heavy cream, or swap for unsweetened oat or almond milk for dairy-free (add 1 tablespoon melted butter or coconut oil for extra richness).
- Eggs: For a vegan swap use 1 cup silken tofu blended until smooth (or 4 flax eggs made with 1 tbsp ground flax mixed with 3 tbsp water each). Both will thicken the custard and help coating, though texture is a bit different from real eggs.
- Butter: Use ghee or coconut oil for frying if you want higher smoke point, or use a neutral oil like vegetable or canola plus a small pat of butter for flavor. Works great and helps prevent burning.
Pro Tips
– Use day old bread or briefly dry fresh slices in a low oven so they soak without falling apart. If you over dry them you lose that custardy center, so stop when they feel just drier on the surface.
– Make the custard smooth and rich: use room temperature eggs, whisk well and optionally strain it for a silky texture. If you want extra custardy centers add one more egg yolk.
– Control the heat and fat: cook over medium low, use butter plus a little neutral oil so the butter browns without burning, and lower the heat if they color too fast. Wipe the pan between batches if any burnt bits start to build up.
– Keep finished slices on a wire rack over a baking sheet in a warm oven so they stay crisp on the outside and soft inside while you finish the rest. Serve with butter and syrup right before eating so they stay at their best.
Best French Toast Recipe
I'll share the little-known tips behind How To Make Fluffy French Toast that create buttery, crisp edges and a custardy center and explain exactly how to get them at home.
8
servings
390
kcal
Equipment: 1. Oven, preheated and a baking sheet set inside to keep finished slices warm while you finish the batch
2. Baking sheet plus a wire rack, so the toast stays crisp and doesnt steam on the tray
3. Large mixing bowl for whisking eggs, milk, cream and flavorings together
4. Whisk, or a fork if youre in a hurry and forgot the whisk
5. Shallow wide dish or pie plate for the custard dip, wide enough for 1 inch thick slices to lie flat
6. Large heavy skillet or griddle, nonstick or cast iron, about 10 to 12 inch so you can cook 1 or 2 slices at a time
7. Thin spatula and a pair of tongs for flipping and moving slices without tearing them
8. Measuring cups and spoons for accurate eggs, milk, cream, sugar and spices
9. Microplane or fine grater for the orange zest, plus a rubber spatula or spoon to scrape up any tasty browned bits between batches
Ingredients
-
8 slices thick cut brioche or challah bread, about 1 inch thick
-
4 large eggs, room temp
-
1 cup whole milk
-
1/3 cup heavy cream or half and half
-
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
-
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
-
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt, or a pinch
-
2 tablespoons unsalted butter plus more for serving
-
1 tablespoon neutral oil like vegetable or canola, optional
-
Maple syrup for serving
-
Powdered sugar for dusting, optional
-
Zest of 1 orange, optional
Directions
- Preheat oven to 200°F (95°C) and set a baking sheet inside to keep finished slices warm.
- Whisk together 4 room temp eggs, 1 cup whole milk, 1/3 cup heavy cream or half and half, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon salt and the zest of 1 orange if using, until smooth and a little frothy.
- If your brioche or challah is very fresh, arrange 8 slices about 1 inch thick on a sheet and dry them in a 300°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes so they soak without falling apart. Day old bread works best though.
- Pour the custard into a shallow dish wide enough for a slice, then dip one slice at a time, pressing gently so the center soaks but the slice does not go limp, about 20 to 30 seconds per side for 1 inch slices, a little longer if bread is very dense. Do not leave them swimming.
- Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium low heat and add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter plus 1 tablespoon neutral oil, let the butter foam and just brown slightly so it wont burn while cooking.
- Cook soaked slices in the hot pan without crowding, 3 to 4 minutes per side until deep golden and edges are crisp but centers still feel slightly soft, flip once. Adjust heat down if they color too fast.
- Transfer cooked slices to the warm baking sheet in the oven to keep at serving temperature while you finish the batch.
- Work in batches and replenish butter plus oil as needed, scraping up fond for extra flavor, and always wipe out any burned bits so the next batch cooks clean.
- Serve immediately with extra butter, warm maple syrup, a dusting of powdered sugar and more orange zest if you like, enjoy the contrast of buttery crisp edges and custardy centers.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 170g
- Total number of serves: 8
- Calories: 390kcal
- Fat: 20.9g
- Saturated Fat: 10.7g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Polyunsaturated: 3.1g
- Monounsaturated: 6.9g
- Cholesterol: 118mg
- Sodium: 418mg
- Potassium: 169mg
- Carbohydrates: 44.6g
- Fiber: 2g
- Sugar: 12.6g
- Protein: 10.7g
- Vitamin A: 312IU
- Vitamin C: 0mg
- Calcium: 102mg
- Iron: 1.1mg
